"The Story of the Second World War" by Paul Dowswell and Ian McNee (Usborne Books)

Lilya Litvyak, known as "The White Lily of Leningrad" - a truly gutsy and fascinating female fighter pilot

"Sticker Dressing Second World War" by Lisa Jane Gillespie and Emi Ordas (Usborne Publishing)

It's another week where we really couldn't decide between two fabulous books for our Book of the Week slot. As we utterly adored "Rosie Revere - Engineer", we couldn't wait to follow it by gorging ourselves on more greatness from this talented duo. Andrea Beaty and David Roberts are a book match made in heaven - with Andrea's awesome rhyming skills and David's eye for fantastic and thoroughly brilliant illustrations, how could we possibly resist "Iggy Peck - Architect".

Young Iggy starts building from a very early age - in fact one of his first constructions might be a bit "on the nose" but is an aesthetically pleasing building (that just happens to be made out of pongy old nappies. EW!)

Iggy spends all his time drawing and designing, scribbling and constructing as his proud parents realise they've got an immensely talented architect in the family. Alas for poor Iggy, his teacher doesn't quite share his enthusiasm. Can she be won round when a school nature trip turns into an abject disaster? Can Iggy's quick thinking and construction skills save the day?

We adored every morsel of this, just as much as we loved Rosie Revere, Engineer (It was rather nice to see her cropping up in Iggy's class, and vice versa btw!). If you've a hankering to build sky-high, follow Iggy's wonderful example in this awesome story.

Charlotte's best bit: Iggy's incredible pongy tower of pee-peed nappies! Stay downwind of that one!

Daddy's Favourite bit: Such a brilliant book, utterly devoured by us and one that we're sure to read and re-read again and again. Now we need to catch up with Madame Chapeau to complete the set!

Like this? We think you'll love these too!

Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts (Chronicle Children's Books)

Doctor Ted by Andrea Beaty and Pascal LeMaitre (Simon and Schuster Children's Books)

Wow, this one sneaked up on us as stealthily as the fox that starred in the first book. With great excitement, I rubbed my eyes in disbelief at the news of a sequel to a book I truly, truly loved as a wee whippersnapper. A book I couldn't wait to share with Charlotte as soon as she could toddle - and a book that has stayed in print, and since become a well-loved classic for many millions of folk around the world.

"Rosie's Walk" by Pat Hutchins is deservedly legendary. The tale of a hen toddling off for a walk around her locale doesn't sound in any way groundbreaking or appealing, but when "Rosie's Walk" first appeared, it ushered a new golden era for children's stories where the text took a back seat to the illustrative storytelling, allowing the very youngest of would-be readers to get involved at an early age.

"Rosie's Walk" went on to sell millions of copies. Now here we are in 2015 and it's fantastic to see Pat Hutchins still producing the most wonderful stories and revisiting the hero of her best-known book.

In "Where oh where is Rosie's chick?", Rosie is a mum but seems to have mislaid her new offspring. The chick is not in the henhouse, so Rosie sets off on a journey to locate the missing fluffball (who at this point in the story is still shellbound!)

As with "Rosie's Walk", Pat Hutchins' sense of comedy and timing is utterly perfect as we see Rosie and her chick (who follows dutifully behind her, unbeknownst to Rosie who perhaps ought to get fitted for a pair of specs!) narrowly avoiding a whole new set of dangers in and around the farmyard...including an all-too familiar foe who has brought help this time!

Recapturing the look and feel of a book that's as old as I am (it was published in the same year as I was born) could have gone hideously wrong. Sticking with the original colour palettes, the character designs and the book's layouts was absolutely the right thing to do though, because "Where oh where is Rosie's chick?" instantly feels familiar, well loved and a true homage paid to a mighty classic (It was quite interesting reading the interview with Pat (which we published excerpts of in our recent preview of this very book!)

We both loved this. Me, because it tapped directly into my nostalgic memories of the original with its groovy late 60s / early 70s crazy palettes and solid illustrations (sadly though, my copy was lost at some point in countless house moves but it's a book we've borrowed many many times from the library since). Charlotte loved it because it combines hilarious slapstick with more subtle comedy, though younger children are really going to lap it up (particularly if their parents read both books to them in sequence).

Utterly brilliant. Hope it sells by the truckload. Pat is a national treasure!

Charlotte's best bit: A lovely moment with Rosie and her chick at the end of the story (with a surprise we won't spoil for you!)

Daddy's Favourite bit: Instantly familiar and classic, an utterly fabulous sequel to one of the best children's books of all time!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Hodder Children's Books)

Like this? We think you'll love these too!

Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins

We're going on a Picnic by Pat Hutchins

We love outdoorsy stuff but if there's one thing I really can't stand, it's camping! I love my comfort too much but when The Strolling Mum and I first got together, we bought a tent and borrowed some camping gear for a couple of holidays (we even spent our honeymoon driving around New Zealand in a camper van - which is a really great way to discover whether you're going to stay married for very long :)

To be fair, it was pretty exciting snuggling up in a tiny tent on a windswept camping site in deepest darkest Cornwall, but swap that for lazing in a hot tub outside my comfortable lodge with all mod cons? No way! Not this daddy!

Mummy and Charlotte do talk about going camping a lot and this book could almost sway me in the right direction. Almost.

Eddie and his sisters Lily and Tilly, and Mum and Tom all decide it's time to break out the tent and the gear and go camping. After some very sensible packing (from Eddie) and some quite frantic attempts to stuff everything they own into pillowcases (Lily and Tilly), the family set off on an epic traffic-filled journey to a quiet camping spot by the coast.

They find the perfect place to pitch a tent, and while everyone's still snoring the next morning, Eddie goes off to explore his new surroundings.

It's an exciting adventure as the family learn to cook outside, play outside and build their own tents and dens. Eddie meets a new friend called Max and his Grandad, and joins them fishing. But can Eddie help out when Max loses his beloved puppy, Bouncer?

Part story, part instruction manual (as you dip into the last few pages of the book you'll be able to learn all the cool skills that Eddie and family use while they're camping), a really nice little book that comfortably nods in the direction of the modern family unit (as you'd expect from Sarah, the author and illustrator of the hugely impressive "Azzi In Between").

Only tiny tiny minus point (which doesn't detract from this excellent book at all really) is that Max's Grandad is accidentally described as his dad part way through the story (Charlotte noticed this with her eagle eyes - See if your kids notice!) I'd also love to live anywhere where you could pack all your gear into the car, head off and find a camping spot as idyllic as the family find in this story - I just don't think it's possible any more (I'm not even sure there ARE places like that in this country but I'm all ears - feel free to comment and tell me I'm wrong!)

Charlotte's best bit: Learning how to make cool outdoor camping stuff like a plate rack out of twigs, and even a mug stand! Oh and of course, CHOCOLATE BANANAS!

Daddy's Favourite bit: The "Eddie" series is brilliant for children, giving them a taste of outdoor excitement as the kids go camping for the first time (it almost - ALMOST makes me want to give up my lifelong pledge never to sleep under canvas again!)

(Kindly sent to us for review by Frances Lincoln Children's Books)

One...

very....

happy little girl!!

Mummy and I always love those moments when Charlotte is so excited she can do nothing else but run around the house squealing with glee. We're huge fans of Paula Harrison, and we are SO GRATEFUL that Charlotte's first ever book dedication is from Paula herself. Paula's new book series from Nosy Crow - The Secret Rescuers (with glorious illustrations from Sophy Williams) - comes along with brilliant timing as Charlotte really loves dragons and is becoming a firm fan of winged scaly beasts.

Book One - "The Storm Dragon" is out today, hooray so rush out and grab a copy now (or find out more on the Nosy Crow Website!)

Book Two - "The Sky Unicorn" also looks like it's going to be fab too (but you'll have to wait until October to find out more about that one).

As you can see by Charlotte's beaming smile, she's immensely happy and couldn't wait to tuck into the book! We'll be bringing you a more in-depth review and more dragony loveliness very soon on the blog so keep 'em peeled.

In the meantime, once again a huge thanks to Paula - Please do come and see us in Abingdon again soon, it's been far too long!! Wishing you huge success with your new series, and happy launch day!

Do you love books that make your mouth water, your tummy tremble in anticipation, that make you dribble like a bloodhound catching scent?

We do! We're foodies, so of course we're going to love any book that celebrates the fine art of sarnie construction - as seen in this case from the perspective of an adorable little girl who offers to make daddy a snack while he zombs out in front of the footie.

We already know that Pip has a talent for the mildly chaotic, we've loved her "Squishy McFluff" books very much. So what happens when she lets a little girl loose in the kitchen?

The little girl knows all of daddy's favourite things and the sandwich starts out normally - but daddy loves his phone, he loves his camera, and of course he loves the little girl herself - so all of daddy's favourite things should end up nestled between two slices of bread, covered in ketchup, surely?

You can imagine the effect this wonderful story has on your little ones as it slowly unfolds, with each new 'ingredient' added to the teetering tottering sandwich stack. Won't daddy get a bellyful when he chomps down!

Hilarious and adorable stuff in equal measure!

"Daddy's Sandwich" is released today, 7th May 2015 by Faber and Faber. Plenty of time to add this to your shopping list in time for Father's Day!

Charlotte's best bit: What a joyous and chaotic mess we end up in at the end of this book!

Daddy's Favourite bit: A crazy and chaotic culinary crusade by a cute and adorable little girl. Wonderful! Now where did I put my phone....?

(Kindly sent to us for review by Faber and Faber)

Like this? We think you'll love these too!

The Giant Jam Sandwich by Janet Burroway and John Lord

Wow, now this is a real blast from the past - and a book that I was recently reminded about thanks to it featuring in the awesome "100 Greatest Children's Books" from Laurence King Publishing.

"The General" celebrated its 50th anniversary back in 2013 and this edition reprinted by Templar Publishing shows just how astonishing and groundbreaking this book was for the time, because re-reading it now as an adult - and re-reading it to my 7 year old daughter, it still feels as relevant and important now as it must've been back in the 60s.

The General - General Jodphur to be precise - is a thoroughly military gent. He runs his army with peerless efficiency and his soldiers are smartly dressed, extremely well trained and hugely disciplined. At night, the general settles down in his study to read about all the most famous generals in history and the campaigns they fought, dreaming that one day people will write books about him and his army too.

Glorious timeless illustrations in "The General"

While out riding, General Jodphur's horse is spooked by a fox as it dashes across their path and the poor General is knocked unceremoniously to the ground. When he hits the fresh sweet-scented grass, something quite amazing happens. The General is not injured but he does not want to get up. He stays there, lying amongst the flowers, soaking up the sheer beauty of the surrounding countryside and woodland.

That night the general can barely sleep, his dreams are troubled by visions of a marching army crushing the wildlife and plant life before them, trampling the wonderful landscape flat. General Jodphur makes a decision - the land must change, and he will be the man to instigate the change. The army will be sent home, sent back to become farmers and fishermen, builders and family men and the army base will be transformed into the most wonderful city with lush green spaces and lots to do. The General's new campaign is not to conquer, but to turn his country into the most beautiful country on earth.

The army become fishermen and farmers once more...wonderful!

As the story continues, General Jodphur's vision slowly comes to pass - but what will happen when generals from the east and west respectively come to see the results of Jodphur's hard work?

Janet and Michael drew up an amazing and empowering story that was 50 years ahead of its time, put together at a time when the cold war still raged, and when at one point it seemed that the world would be plunged into another war as events surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis began to unfold. It's still astonishingly relevant (at times, sadly so) but children today can wholly identify with the book's solid and wondrous messages promoting ecological values and world peace (and in Charlotte's case, wish as hard as possible that the world could eventually end up like The General's world!)

If you've never encountered this book before, and often wonder if "old books" can still light up your child's imagination like a bright beacon, you owe it to yourself and your kids to seek out "The General" - it's a truly inspirational and hugely influential children's classic in every sense of the word.

Charlotte's best bit: General Jodphur's amazing city, picked out in all the colours of the rainbow

Daddy's Favourite bit: As relevant, important and packed with wonder today as it must've been 50 years ago. A truly stunning book!

(Kindly sent to us for review by the utterly awesome Stephanie at Templar Publishing)

Most internet memes are completely lost on us. We have no idea what the fox said, and equally we had no idea who Action Movie Kid was until this book plopped through the letterbox with a "Ka-POW!" Action movie kid is a YouTube sensation, a little kid with a big imagination ably assisted by his action-movie loving parents. He's such an awesome happy little chap and after we'd checked out a few of his videos, we were giggling like goons!

Wanna see him in action? Step right this way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34Q0BB8-2nA


Yep, as you can see, Action Movie Kid is pretty nifty with a light saber, he can stride through steamy jungles to rescue lost treasure to help out a certain crusty old archaeologist, and can leap tall buildings with a single bound (or at least clamber around them, thousands of feet off the ground all thanks to his VFX expert of a dad).

Now AMK has made the leap from YouTube to the printed page, courtesy of mum and dad and hugely talented illustrator Valerio Fabretti.

"Action Movie Kid" book 1 sees our pint-sized hero using that colossal imagination of his to turn everyday life into an exciting adventure. Fixing dad's car with rocket boosters so he's never late for work or fending off zombie attacks from wrinkly old babysitters. AMK is on the scene!

In this pacy story, AMK hears a strange noise emanating from the basement. An inter-dimensional portal has opened up in the washing machine, and a nefarious slime monster wants to slide through and make a meal out of Action Movie Kid! Can he summon enough strength and courage to defeat this nasty slithery beast? Maybe mum and dad can help!

We love superheroes, we loved the presentation of this but the story felt like it needed something more - something "super". I thought Charlotte would be leaping up and down with enthusiasm for this as she loved AMK's movie clips, but she didn't seem very impressed at all with the book version (but did rather like the rather cool AR cover on the book - which you can activate using the Blippar app on your smartphone - don't worry, the burn marks on your carpet will wash straight out!)

We get the feeling that this won't be the last booky adventure for AMK - and now he's got a new baby sister, perhaps it'll mark the start of a superhero team-up that will take the book world (and youtube) by storm.


Charlotte's best bit: Action Movie Kid leaping to life with a very clever AR cover on the book

Daddy's Favourite bit: Fast paced fun for little ones, maybe adventure 2 might see AMK hit his stride

(Kindly sent to us for review by Atria Books)

We do love a yappy happy waggy-dog tale and here's a little corker from Jude and Niki Daly. "Seb and Hamish" tells the story of a little boy (Seb) and his mum who go to visit their new neighbour Mrs Kenny. She's a lovely old lady who loves baking but most of all absolutely LOVES dogs, particularly her awesome little dachsund Hamish.

Hamish is very noisy whenever new people come round so poor Seb is quite apprehensive at first. But once he's settled down with a couple of smiley-faced biscuits and a train, he starts to relax. Hamish and Seb soon get to know each other and when the nose from one of Seb's biscuits rolls under Hamish's door (the kindly lady thoughtfully shuts noisy barky Hamish in her bedroom), a lick and a sniff or two is all it takes for Seb and Hamish to become firm friends.

The story's theme is fab, a great read for little ones who aren't particularly comfortable around animals (particularly small and excitable dogs like Hamish). Niki's illustrations are utterly fab too, lending a real energy to the whole story (Hamish practically bounces off each page with excitement and doggy energy! We love him!)

A poochy tale with a positive message, what's not to love!

Charlotte's best bit: So many awesome dog-shaped things in Mrs Kenny's house (we really loved the dog-shaped umbrella stand!)

Daddy's Favourite bit: A fantastic little story with a great theme about overcoming shyness and fear for little ones. Hamish is most definitely the star though!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Frances Lincoln Children's Books)

When a new kid moves into the street, the local children are curious. What's she like? Who is she? Why does she wear a coat all the time?

Meet Ellie, star of Marie Louise Fitzpatrick's sensitive and thought provoking children's book "The New Kid" as the story explores many issues that would weigh heavily on a child's minds when they have to up sticks and move to a new town.

The local kids aren't really sure what to make of Ellie. At first they mock and chide (with one exception, a boy who quietly watches as his friends are teasing and quite mean). Ellie has her own ways of fitting in though, and the subtle balance of childhood relationships is explored as the new kid becomes the new and interesting and different kid, and the quiet boy now feels displaced as the leader of the gang.

I loved the subtleties of this story, which were (alas) lost on Charlotte who didn't like the way the story flowed, and really didn't like the way the kids initially behave to Ellie before warming to her ways (which is of course the point). "The book is boring" she said (horrors!) but for children in Ellie's situation, this book would actually feel like more familiar territory. We did both agree on one thing though, the painted illustrations are truly magical and bring Ellie's plight to life in wonderful hues and palettes that virtually leap off the page. Certainly this is a story that would really be great used in classrooms and libraries where children coping with new surroundings could find it and make it their own.

Charlotte's best bit: Ellie's elephant impression and superhero antics (very impressive!)

Daddy's Favourite bit: A subtle and touching story with a firm message, glorious illustrations but could the story be too subtle for some kids?

(Kindly sent to us for review by Hodder Children's Books)